Sugar-high intensity sweetener blends have been formulated to produce low calorie composite sweeteners, being used as sugar alternatives with reduced calorific values. Aside from having lower calorific value, it is important that the low calorie composite sweetener as a sugar alternative shall have similar appearance, taste profile, bulk properties and heat resistance as sucrose. For example, the similar appearance would enable a sugar alternative to have a decorative function in addition to sweetening and bulking properties; the heat resistance is essential for a large number of food and beverage applications that operate at high temperature; otherwise a sugar alternative with low heat resistance tends to degrade when subjected to heat.
Various methods for production of such blends have been developed to produce low calorie sweetener compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,402 describes a co-crystallization process between sugar and N-{N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl}-L-phenylalanine 1-methylester. It comprises the steps of mixing sugar with water, heating the mixture to 120° C., then seeding the mixture with a pre-mixture comprising N-{N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl}-L-phenylalanine 1-methylester and sugar, followed by allowing the resulted mixture to cool at intensive stirring conditions. It is to noted that the process was carried out under normal atmospheric pressure conditions, and high temperatures, particularly 120° C. In this case, darkening of mixture promoted by high temperature might occur which in turn affects the color and appearance of the final product. Another drawback of the method is the high power consumption of employed processes.
US Patent Application 2010/0034945 describes a process of preparation of co-crystallized product comprising sugar and a natural sweetener. The product is prepared by co-crystallizing sucrose and a natural sweetener in a vacuum pan under controlled pressure and temperature conditions followed by separating the crystal from the “sugar juice”. The drawback of this process when it is employed for co-crystallization of sugar and high intensity sweetener is the difficulty of controlling the ratio of sugar and high intensity sweetener in the final crystals. The distribution of high intensity sweetener between two phases (crystals and “sugar juice”) can have significant variance which, in case of high sweetness power of aforementioned sweeteners will result in substantial batch to batch variability of sweetness level of final product. Besides, in order to prevent loss of high intensity sweetener which remains in liquid phase, additional recovery/recirculation steps are required.
European Patent EP0334617 describes a sweetener which comprises hollow spheroids or part spheroids of microcrystalline sucrose generally bound to crystals of sucrose and preferably containing one or more high intensity sweeteners such as sucralose. The sweetener is prepared by spray drying of sucrose syrup with simultaneous injection of an inert pressurized gas and generally contacting the sprayed syrup during the spray drying step and/or after completion of said step with crystals of sucrose and preferably incorporating the high intensity sweetener in the sucrose syrup or in the agglomeration step. A major setback of this method for production of low caloric sweetener composition which utilizes sucrose in the form of syrup as raw material, is the high power consumption and requirement of custom designed high cost equipment for spray drying process.
UK Patent GB1566821 describes a sweetening composition comprising a mixture of L-sorbose and sucrose with molar ratio of L-sorbose to sucrose within the range of 1:0.5 to 1:50. The sweetening composition is prepared by mixing granulated/powdered sucrose and L-sorbose together. A sugar-high intensity sweetener blends prepared by simple dry mixing process tends to have lower quality especially after prolonged transportation and storage when stratification of components occurs due to influence of vibration and friction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,294 describes a process where Massecuite Aggregated Microcrystalline Sugar (MAMS) granules (structurally comprising cohered sugar microcrystals with internal capillary networks) are employed as a means to combine sugar with modifying agents. The disclosed process is dependent upon the internal capillary networks of the MAMS granules, which allow the applied modifying agent to impregnate the sugar granules. The disclosed process further provides an option of second treatment in which a pore closure material is applied to reduce the porosity of the surface layers of the granules, and seal off the impregnated agent from escape to or contact with the atmosphere. The drawbacks of the disclosed process include the requirement of special forms of sugar granules and additional sealing treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,519 describes a low calorie composite sweetener by combining fructose with high intensity sweetener. The fructose particles are first covered with a non-reducing substance membrane and the high intensity sweetener is then deposited to the non-reducing substance membrane. The drawbacks of the disclosed composite sweetener include the requirement of additional bonding such as non-reducing substance membrane.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,057 discloses a granulated sugar product comprising a core and surface sugar layers where the core material is having higher density than the surface material. The surface material comprises substantially a second sugar, dextrins, sorbitol, mannitol, starch, cellulose, inulin, glycogen, xylitol, levoglucason or maltol (and ethyl derivative). It may also incorporate high intensity sweetener. The drawbacks of the disclosed sugar product include the requirements of another compound such as second sugar, dextrins, sorbito, mannitol, starch, cellulose, inulin, glycogen, xylitol, levoglucason, maltol or any other binding or bulking agent besides the sugar and high intensity sweetener.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,133 describes a process of imparting water insoluble colors to pharmaceutical solutions. According to described process the color solution is distributed onto sucrose particles to form a sucrose and coloring material blend. No adequate solutions are described to ensure even distribution of color solution on sucrose particles to produce material with maximal homogeneity. Mechanical stability of the blend obtained by described process will be insufficient.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,902,773 describes a process of protecting hygroscopic carbohydrate (fructose) with non-hygroscopic film and increasing the thickness of the film by additionally depositing non-hygroscopic carbohydrate crystals from saturated solution of non-hygroscopic carbohydrate (dextrose). Process employs a spray chamber where the hygroscopic granules are covered with film of non-hygroscopic compound by means of spraying while falling from top of the tower through spray zone where coating material is being sprayed. It has to be noted that such method of delivery of coating material cannot provide control of contact time of core particle with sprayed solution to ensure preparation of material with uniform characteristics.